Accounting card system.



W. H. WALKER.

AGGOUNTING CARD SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION IILED AUG. 26, 1912.

' 1,051,932, Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. H. WALKER.

AOGOUNTING CARD SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED we. 26, 1912.

1,,Q5LQ3Q, Patented Feb.4, 1913.

s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNLRSES,

W. H. WALKER.

ACCOUNTING CARD SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1912.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

WILLIAM H. WALKER, 0F JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

ACCOUNTING CARD srsrnm.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4,1913.

Application filed August 26, 1912.' Serial No. 716,860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Accounting Card Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it a pertains to make and use the same.

y invention relates to accounting systems and has for its object to provide a labor saving device which maybe employed in computing the wage amount due an employee for a given number of hours at a certain rate per hour, or for any other purpose for which the cards may be arrangedi My invention includes a suitable recep-g tacle or filing case for the cards, which s constructed in such a manner as to retain; the cards when not in use, and also to hold them in such a way as'to facilitate the ex-{ posure of any desired card for reference thereto and to support it in that position.

Heretofore it has been quite customary: to ascertain the amount of wages due an employee, by multiplying the rate per hour by the number of hours worked. This operation required time, labor and inconvenience and is also subject to various possibilities for inaccuracy. Wages tables have also been made with the rates in one marginal column, the hours in another marginal column perpendicular thereto, with the amounts obtained by multiplying the rate by the hours arranged at the intersections of lines drawn from each hour number and rate number. This also leads to error, as in quick operation a nearby but improper intersection may be selected.

The object of my invention is to obviate such procedures and to provide a conven ient, accurate means of directly determining the amount of wages corresponding to a certain number of hours at any rate per hour. To this end I provide a lurality of cards, with an index tab exten ing from each of the said cards, upon which tab is indicated the wage rate per hour for which said card is calculated. The body of each card is ruled into blocks or squares and each square has indicated therein a number of hours and the amount of salary corresponding to that number of hours, at the rate shown on the index tab. This arrangement of the amount in the same block with the hours, prevents With these objects in view, the invention I comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying three sheets of drawings forming part of this specification :Figure 1 is a perspective view. of my file case and'card system showing the cards raised into position for inspection and the cover or doors of the case swung 1 into places to act as the card rests. Fig. 2

is a vertical transverse section taken on the line II-H of Fig. 4, showing the cards in elevation and the doors of the card case in the position indicated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 4, the cards being placed horizontally inside the file case and the doors closed, this being their positions when not in use. Fig. 4 is a vertical horizontal sectional elevation taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the rear corners of the file case, the rear door being in its open position showing the recess and a kerf which forms the door jamb for the rear door. Fig. 6 illustrates one of the accounting cards, this particular one having wage tables indicated thereon from an hour, to 199 hours at 24 cents per hour.

In the drawings, in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throu hout the several views :A indicates the fi e case for retaining and for supporting the cards, comprising a bottom B with upwardly extending sides C and D and ends E and F. Each of said ends'E and F near its rear inner uppercorner edge is recessed as at G and kerfed as at H to form a door jamb for the swinging door I. The swinging door I is arranged with its ends extending into the recesses G and is pivoted to the ends of the file case by means of the screws J which are passed loosely through holes in the same and screwed into is e swinging door I as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The rear edge of the door I is rounded, andthe said door is limited in its downward swinging movement by the kerfs H in the ends of the file case when the door is closed, and in its up ward and backward movement by the inclined edge K of the recesses G which come in contact with each end of the inner face of the d0or,'thus allowing it to be rotated on its pivots J slightly more than a laiuarter of a revolution, and inclined rearwar 1y to act as a card rest or support when the cards are placed in position for ins eotion.

L indicates the forwar door which is shorter longitudinally than the swinging door I so as to close within the inner lore gitudinal' dimensions of the file case, and, 1s

hinged at M to the u per inner edge .of

the front side C of the 12 case. The doors I and I), when closed, form the top ofthe file case, their 'meetingedges being formed into a 'rabbet as at N, the undertpriojecting half on the rear door, receiving,and su porting the upper extending. half on t e forward door when both doors,v are closed. Their-out. hinged edge of the dQDr-L is bevel'ed at O which enables. the door to be opened it is desired. to raise. the cards into an upright position for inspection and to be folded inside the filecase with its rabbetededge resting on'the top surface of the botttimof the file case, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When the cards are located as shown in Fig.2,- the rear edge of the door L serves to prevent..tbe bottoms of the'in'clined cards from sliding forward, thereby cotiperating with the other parts to hold the cards securelgfbut loosely, inposition for ins ection.- finger-hold P is also formed in t e to allow it tobe easily opened at will and then swung into position.v The inside of the bottom B of the file case has a beveled longitudinal notch Q into whichthe lower ed es of the cards are placed when raised, an a hole B through which a finger may beinserted to lift the cards as a preliminary when setting them into osition for use. If desired, the bottom of the file case may be covered with felt as at S, or any other sound-deadening material.

T indicates the wages accounting .cards,

each having a tab U extending therefrom, integral w th, or attached theretofat a de:

sired place, preferably in staggered relation with each other, on the upper mar al edge of the card and havingindicate thereon the amount of wages forone hour, so that when the cards are resting inan uri ht position with their opposite margina e eson the bottom of the file case in the beveled surfaceofthe door L to notch Q, the tabs project above the body of the cards and act as the index, whereby the desired hourly' wage card can be quickly found.

The face of each card, with the exception of a strip at the bottom thereof, which would be hard to see when placed in the file, is ruled into blocks or squares V, each of which contains a number W denoting a number of hours or a fraction thereof and a wage amount X which is-an amount equal to the said number of hours ,multiplied by the hourly wage rate as indicated on the index tab.

In Fig.16 l have illustrated a wageaccounting card with a rate "of 24 cents per hour, as inscribed on the tab." Theiface of the card has ruled npon it two hundred squaresor blocks and has hourly and .corresponding wage amounts consecutively arranged thelflon from an hourto 199 hours; although it will be-nn erstood that the cards may have al gre'ater number of hoursf,-or=

other fractionsoflan hour,and more corresponding wageamounts may be used, dc

sired. It is preferable in printing or in; scribingv these cards to. have the figuresrepresenting the hours of a difi'erent color. than that of the wage. amounts, to more readily distinguish them from each other, thereby preventing mistakes, and the cards may be printed on both sides to economize s ace.

The operation and manipulation 0 m improved accounting card system is as fo use doors I and LQa-re opened, the

car 5 are tipped. up by insertin the finger in the hole, in the bottomr'of t ve filc case,

leaving the-narrowdoor I open and slanting backwardlyzwThe .wide door L is then pushed downward to a sloping position with its meeting or free edge resting on the bot tom of the inside of the file case) The lower edges of the cards are thenf'placed in the longitudinal beveled notch ;-Q and supported n, .a position slight-lyiincline'd *1.

from the vertical by the door I, the :edges of the cards being prevented from sliding backward or forward by the rearportion of the beveled notch Q and the rear edge of the door L respectively, as clearly shown inFig. 2. The cards can then be handled easily as in a card index. 1 K

As above stated, the wages amounts to any number of hours to and. including 199 on each card, will be found expressedin one amount in the same block or square with each of said number of hours, as. for ex, ample :If an employee working for 24 cents per hour has worked 47 hours and-desires pay for that amount, the accountant refers to the card having the 24 -cent tab, as il1us+ and locates the block for 26 hours, which shows the earnings to be $6.24. Now, if the decimal point is moved one place to the right, he has $62.40, which is the amount sought. Again, if he desires to find the wages amount for 312 hours at the same rate per hour, he can refer to the card and locate o a pair of swinging doors forming the top the square for 30 hours and find the amount to be $7.20. He then moves the decimal point one place to the right and the amount is $72.00 He then adds to this the amount on the card in the square for 12 hours, which is $2.88. and finds the sum to be $74.88. which is the amount for 312 hours at 24-cents per hour.

After using the cards temporarily, they can be replaced in the file case and the doors closed, making a neat and clean container, preserving the cards from dust and dirt, and suitable to set ona desk.without occupying unnecessary room.

Although I have shown and described my invention in considerable detail, I do not wish to limit myself to the exact and specific forms shown and described, but may use such substitutions, modifications or equivalents thereof, as are embraced within the scope of my invention, as set forth in the claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is p 1. A card filing case, comprising a box,

thereof, one of said doors having its ends extending into recesses formed in the ends of the file case, said recesses having a side wall which limits the opening of the door in its swinging movement to a position whereby it may act as a support for the cards while in upright position for inspection.

2. A card filing case, comprising a box open at the top, doors pivotally attached thereto and adapted to close said top, the rear one of the said doors having its ends extending into recesses and kerfs formed in the ends of the file case to which it is pivoted, the downward swinging movement of door being limited by the kerfs aforesaid, which form the jambfor the door when closed, and the upward movement of said door being .limited by the side walls of the recesses which contact with the inside of the said door when open, whereby the said door is adapted to act as a supportfor the cards, when desired. 4

3. A card filing case, comprising a box open at the top, adapted to hold cards laid horizontally. therein when not in use, a pair of swinging doors pivotally attached to the file case adapted to close said top, a beveled groove extending longitudinally within the inside of the bottom of the filing case, a hole in the bottom through which the cards may be raised, the rear door being adapted to slope backwardly when opened,.thereby providing means for supporting the cards in inclined position for inspection.

4. A card filing case, comprising a box open at the top, a pair of swinging doors pivotally attached to the file case and adapted to close the top thereof, means for limiting the swinging movement of the rear door when open to a position slightly inclined backwardly from the vertical, thereby adapt-- ing it to act as a support for the cards in a raised position when placed in the file for inspection, and means whereby the opposite door may be swung inside the file case with its rear edge resting on the bottom of the file case, thereby preventing the bottom edgesof the cards from sliding down.

5. A card filing case comprising a box open at the top, a pair of swinging doors pivotally attached thereto, adapted to close the top thereof, said doors having their meeting edges formed into rabbets whereby the rear door supports the meeting edge of the front door when the doors-are closed,

means for limiting the swinging movementof the rear door when open to a position slightly inclined backwardly from the vertical, thereby adapting it to act as a support for the cards in a raisedposition, said front door being shorter longitudinally than the corresponding inside dimension of the file case, whereby it is adapted to swing downwardly therein with its rear edge resting on the bottom of the file case, thereby prevent ing the bottom edges of the cardsfrom slid= ing down.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM H. WALKER.

Witnesses:

J. F. GnooAN, ROBERT A. Barns. 

